Sometimes, there’s just nothing more satisfying than a cool refreshing salad. I crave them, almost daily. For reals. Since tomatoes are taking over my life right now, I decided to craft up a new salad… tomato, avo, and cuke are pretty standard go-to’s around here, but this recipe adds in sweet grated beets, crunchy celery, and a turmeric dressing that brings it all together for a unique and refreshing crunchy bowl-o-bites.
I’m a big fan of beets, particularly grated raw. Weird? It’s a great trick my mom taught me years ago… I used to spend hours peeling, boiling or roasting, then cooling and grating beets until one day, my mom so simply stated that she just grates them raw. Silly me.. and to think all that time I was just trying to make them like my mom’s. You could skip them if you want here, but they add a light little sweetness, which goes great with the dressing. Red beets are pretty, but they dye everything in their path pink.. so I went golden for this.
You could add in whatever else you may want to make your own rendition… Butter lettuce would be amazing to make it a full green salad, or some shaved radish for color and zing. Get creative and play.
This dressing though, that’s what makes me smile. A simple oil and vinegar would do the trick just fine, but this turmeric-Dijon dude here adds a fun little twist. Packed full of healthy goodness (it’s magical, I tell you!), turmeric can be a bit over-powering for some, so I’d start small with just a 1/4 tsp, then add in more as you want from there. It’s potent, but man is it good for you! If you don’t have shallots, a little red onion or a splash of garlic would work too.
As for the herbs, I love cilantro, like a lot, but I know some people can’t stand the stuff… if that’s you, try swapping in dill instead of cilantro for a refreshing twist (dill and beets are a match made in heaven, as are dill and cukes for matter too!) 🙂
makes four side servings
INGREDIENTS
1 cup grated raw beet (golden or red)
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I use half cherry tomatoes, half a sweet red variety)
1 cup chopped avocado (ripe, but not mushy)
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped parsley
for the dressing…
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped shallot
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or apple cider if preferred)
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
optional but awesome: fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS
Grate the beet and chop all of veggies (and fruits!) and herbs
Toss it all in a large bowl
A note about herbs: I love cilantro, like lots, but I know some people can’t stand the stuff…
if that’s you, try swapping in dill instead of cilantro for a
refreshing twist (dill and beets are a match made in heaven) 🙂
Take a quick pause from the salad to whip up the dressing…
Add all ingredients into a small food processor, blend, then adjust flavors to your liking
Pour the dressing over the salad
Toss to coat
Taste, then add more salt as needed
Optional: squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top… extra refreshing!
Serve up and devour!
